CRADLE 2 CRADLE - remaking the way we make things, so that in the end our WASTE = FOOD
"We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." (Albert Einstein) What we’re proposing is the joint start of the Next industrial revolution or NIR through the concept of Cradle 2 Cradle or C2C, where the waste we produce (be it on a macro-scale of massive waste-production of the automobile industry or a micro-scale of not knowing what to do with the plastic wrapper of your Snickers) equals (=) food. BOTTOM LINE We design every product in such a way that at the end of its lifecycle the component materials become a new resource (e.g. design buildings in such a way that they produce energy and become a friend to the environment). With this simple philosophy we don’t just constantly prevent fire, we actually stop it…for good!!! What will be a true and historic challenge is convincing the right people to follow our lead. Oh yes, we dare take this idea on a mass global scale. Don’t think big. Think really REALLY BIG!!!:))) OUR MISSION, DRASTICALLY SIMPLIFIED To achieve a sustainable economy: a system that meets the needs of its current members without compromising the prospects of future generations.We start with revolutionizing and rethinking the construction infrastructure, because once cities and buildings themselves are sustainable and one with nature a snowball effect will take care of other industries and the rest of our smaller man-made products (the car industry,agriculture, communications infrastructure, all possible household accessories, appliances and furnishing, you name it), which in the end, one by one, little by little (although the process will be accelerated with government loans, sanctions and the momentum of the situation) will all become a part of our very own industrialised 'eco-system' which, in part, is the essence of the Next Industrial Revolution. "The scientific community is usually paid to study problems, not solutions; indeed finding a solution to the problem usually brings an end to research funding."(William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle) This is OUR mission (not just my own), and I need your input here. I alone can only articulate and express so much (and some of it can be wrong or not properly thought-out!), and cannot possibly think of everything!:) See 'how to help' for further details. Thank you! =Who we need to achieve this= Individuals who will rigorously aspire in the following departments: HR bring us the intelectual resources we need (such as scientists, developers, researchers, designers, our personal lobbyists, leading thinkers on sustainability, C2C, NIR, nanotechnology, etc., and pretty much anybody that can contribute). *'Developers' This is the R&D department. When we secure our funds that’s when you step in. Without your input our whole project is worthless, even if we have the support ot the entire human race! The goal is to go from micro to macro. You are the people that will make NIR happen!!! Scientists in all fields of research must strive to reach a C2C sustainability in every possible mad-made product, so that nothing we produce becomes unusable waste. This means that compounds of each material we use need to be recycleable (not downcycling, as we know it today!!), and if possible also easy to produce and non-poisonous. (for better explanation please see videos in the ‘mission’ section) This thinking has to be applied in all industries to reach sustainable industrial production(see "What we need to achieve" for further details). IT your communication skills might not be apparent to you at first, but you will be the ones in charge of presenting our cause to the digital world. Your input (our homepage/blog, our wiki page, a forum…) will make us or break us! That’s why you need to approach every single aspect of this project’s solutions holistically so that we have an impeckable UI, a recognizable design and a feel-great vibe in everything concerning our digital presence (think Google). FR without hard cash our idea will die! We desperately need your help to secure us the funds we need (private, public, as long as it’s legal, morally just and plentiful we don’t really care…although we have to be cautious for our PR’s sake ). *'Salespeople' you will be the key figures in ‘selling our product’ while discussing with corporate officials, politicians and so forth. Your excellent people skills are a must! PR you will be our first contact with ‘the outside world’, meaning your input in presenting ourselves as a cause worth fighting for will perhaps be the single most important step in securing our idea gets the propper jump-start to succeed. =What we need to achieve this= A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY - a system that meets the needs of its current members without compromising the prospects of future generations. This is going to be reached through: * SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY - Solar, wind, wave, geothermal, lightnings, you name it. We need to find a way to use nature to our advantage in such a way that we don't have to fear of running out of energy, as is the case today. I'm no dreamer, this is really hard to accomplish, and yet, there's no better alternatives in the long run!:) * SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY - eco-cities, certificates (such as LEED, etc) that make sure each individual building is self-sustainable and if possible produces more energy than it consumes. No idea yet on how we can make roads and bridges environmentally friendly, but let's maybe tackle our cities and individual buildings first. * SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF LAND AND WATER TRANSPORT – let’s leave air and space transport out for the moment. Instead can you imagine a revolutionary means of everyday city tranportation where there are no fumes and no pollution? And it's not a bicycle! * SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND PRODUCTION OF FOOD - vertical farms, fields on green rooftops of buildings, management/use of methane, finding use for leftovers of harvesting crops, reduction and eventual discontinuing of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. *'ALTERNATIVES FOR PLASTIC' *'other industries, etc' =How we can make this work, in steps= "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead, anthropologist) 1. world - CORPORATIONS - will only participate in our movement after they realize this environmental principle saves them tons of money on production costs, waste removal, recycling (not downcycling, as we know it today!!) etc. They are key to our goal (money still makes the world go round!), and the C2C idea must be presented to them on a large scale of unprecedented proportions!!! This can only be done through thorough preparation and our network of skilled organisations and individuals who will - each in their own country/territory - persuade corporate officials, one by one, but in a very short frame of time (months, not years!) to keep the momentum we will have by then.The biggest corporations must be persuaded first and are the top priority in this step, the smaller ones will follow. To summarize, in steps: clear goals, clear realization of our proposal, preparation, action. 2. continents – EU, U.S.A., ‘ASIAN ALLIANCE’, SOUTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, AFRICA – these unions of countries and states are the glue of our efforts. What we have done with corporations we must immediately continue with each continental union in order to secure the corporations the means to their goals. Propper R&D fundings, standardisations, regulations, etc. To summarize: we have to turn the momentum we’ve created into a mindset with firm foundations. 3. countries and states - POLITICIANS, LOBBYISTS, ORGANISATIONS, ETC - they will be key in overcoming the language barriors and spreading the C2C idea to each countrie’s local infrastructure of institutions (schools, universities, research institutes), small businesses (implementation of C2C will be vital for their survival in order to compete on the market) the majority of households (so everyday people become aware of the challenges we’re all facing with NIR and potentially proactive) 4. cities – EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS – if we reach this step, it will mean that our C2C /NIR implementation has succeeded. Now it is up to schools, universities and all other educational bodies to make sure we - and especially or children - are taught and reminded that the way we now sustainably live is the key to our survival. To summarize: it is through these insitutions that we have to secure a state of upbringing that will make sure humanity never has to go through this process (the one we endured to to get to this point) again 5. local municipalities - PUBLIC FIGURES, INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS, SMALL ORGANISATIONS, ETC - they are the ones who either persuade the last nay-sayers of living sustainably (such individuals will still be around, no doubt), but if that fails their presence in the community will still be stronger than that of bitter, angry opposers. Arguably, this perhaps seems like a more trivial matter, although nesessary, and one that will disappear in a couple of generations after C2C becomes an integrated part of life that goes without saying. 6. individuals – YOU, YOUR NEIGHBOUR AND YOUR FAMILY – it is individuals who came together and rose to the occasion when time called for it, and in the end it is individual minds which are the most important. Congratulations, we’ve juts saved humanity:) "Only those who attempt the absurd achieve the impossible"'' (M.C. Escher)'' =Logistics= Superstructures *cradle 2 cradle on reconstruct *bright green *Bright Green reconstruct group *Pan Human Sustainability Projects * PHS on Global Swadeshi *PHS group on Reconstruct *bright green Discussions Stories *There is no away *Eco cities - First Masdar, then New York Economic point of view *Microloans *Cooperative ventures =web resources= *Direct digital manufacturingwikipedia *fabbing =How to help= FIRST, UNDERSTAND OUR CHALLENGES Read “who we need to achieve this”…where can you imagine yourself contributing? It can be in one place or more, but most importantly, you have to envision how you can accomplish your challenge or how others can solve it for you. If you feel something has been left out, if you have ANY possible and impossible question (you don’t understand the concept of the Superstruct game, have no clue how you can help, or just need to ask something, etc…), or if you want to give me feedback (express what you think of the superstructure, help me fill-in the blanks in presenting my idea to the rest of the Superstruct community, etc...) , please click on my name and send me a message. Reply 100% guaranteed!:) THEN TAKE ACTION Simply start adding new/removing unnecessary textual (and other) content to this superstructure or do the following: *ADD SUPERSTRUCTURES, DISCUSSIONS, STORIES - if you have found superstructures, discussions, stories that can help us or we can help them, add them to the lists at the bottom. Also briefly explain why we need eachither. *START SUPERSTRUCTURES, DISCUSSIONS, STORIES - there’s a gazillion issues that still need to be addressed, and we can’t do it on our own! If you strongly feel something hasn’t been mentioned enough, by all means write a story, open a discussion or start your own superstructure!:) Add them to the lists at the bottom. *BRING OTHER SEHIs - this superstructure is simply too big for a small group to handle it, and we need all the HR we can get:) For the moment this is it, but be sure to expect new instructions once we have more SEHIs, enough superstructures that we collaborate with, and enough willpower to take the next step...TO BE CONTINUED! =References= Video *Cradle 2 Cradle[ | 20 min *[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3058533428492266222 Waste = Food | 49 min Audio Textual *http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/quotes-global-eco-forum-michael-braungart.php Other